Collapsible bin box



Nov. 9, 1965 T. MUNROE 3,216,604

COLLAPSIBLE BIN BOX Filed Aug. 5, 1963 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG-I |4- FIG 2u a 32 26 53 I INVENTOR.

\ THOMAS MUNROE A TTORNEYS Nov. 9, 1965 T. MUNROE COLLAPSIBLE BIN BOX 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1963 FIG INVENTOR.

THOMAS MUNROE ATTORNEYS Nov. 9, 1965 T. MUNROE 3,216,504

COLLAPSIBLE BIN BOX Filed Aug. 5, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 48 1a,; 68 hm WM M.

M M FIG 7 M 4 22 FIG 8 i6 24 INVENTOR. A THOMAS MUNROE .0 BY i /n.Zw/;

ATTORN E Y5 United States Patent C 3,216,604 COLLAPSIBLE BIN BGX ThomasMunroe, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Moraine Box Company, Dayton, Ohio, acorporation of Michigan Filed Aug. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 299,791 4 Claims.(Cl. 217-16) This invention relates to bin boxes and the like, and isparticularly concerned with a collapsible bin box.

Bin boxes are widely employed in commercial establishments for storaginggoods and can be employed as containers for shipping goods also.Heretofore, a number of attempts have been made to construct thesedevices so that they could be collapsed and re-used, but heretoforecollapsible boxes of this nature have been expensive and have not metwith any degree of success. With this in mind, a primary object of thepresent invention is the production of a collapsible bin box that willmeet all of the technical requirements for such boxes, while at the sametime, the box will be economical to manufacture and convenient to set upand knock down, thus making it a practical commercial item.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a collapsible binbox which can readily be stacked with other like boxes without thedanger of any of the boxes collapsing.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of acollapsible bin box which can readily be handled with a fork truck formoving it about.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will becomemore apparent upon reference to the following specification taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a box ac cording to the presentinvention with the lid removed;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view indicated by line 22 onFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view partly broken away showing more in detailthe construction of the box;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view showing a modification;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modification of thehinge element;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view showing the side walls being collapsed;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view showing how the box according to thepresent invention lends itself to conveying liquids by having a plasticliner placed therein;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view showing how a plurality of the boxes canbe stacked in nested relation.

Referring to the drawings somewhat more in detail, and with particularreference to FIGURES 1 through 6, the box according to the presentinvention comprises end walls 10 and 12 and front and back walls 14 and16. These walls are hingedly connected at their adjacent ends by theelongated plastic hinge elements 18 which may be stapled in place asindicated at 20 in FIGURE 2.

Each of the end walls 10 and 12 along the bottom edge thereof and on theinside has secured thereto a cleat or foot member 22 which extendsdownwardly below the lower end of the pertaining end wall apredetermined amount. These cleats or foot members are availed of forsupporting base 24 and also for nesting inside the upper open end of abin box on which the box is to be stacked. The nesting of the cleats 22inside the end walls of the bin box therebeneath is illustrated inFIGURE 8.

As to the base 24, this oonsists of two side portions 26 and 28 whichare hingedly interconnected along the center line of the box by anotherplastic hinge means 30. The outer side edges of the portions 26 and 28of the base member may be beveled or may be formed in steps, as will beseen at 32 in FIGURE 2, and the lower edges earnest Patented Nov. 9,1965 of the front and back walls 14 and 16 of the bin box are similarlyformed so that there is an interlocking engage ment between the base andthe front and back walls of the bin box.

In addition, the one portion 26 of the base member may have a metal bar34 secured thereto at each end as by the fastener elements 36 so as toreinforce the portions 26 and 28 of the base adjacent the ends thereof,which ends are interrupted by an aperture 38.

Aperture 38 is aligned with an aperture 40 in the adjacent end wall ofthe bin box, and these apertures are availed of for receiving a springclip 42 that clamps the I base member in place but which clips can besnapped off to permit the bin box to be knocked down.

The bin box also has a lid consisting of a single panel 44 adapted forbeing received inside the open top of the bin box and having a cleat orrail 46 extending around the edge that overlies the upper edges of thevertical walls of the bin box. The said vertical walls are provided withslits or apertures 48 distributed therearound which can be availed offor receiving spring clips 50 corresponding with spring clip 42associated with the base members.

In addition, the bin box when set up and filled, and with the lid on,can be banded as by the metal bands 52 shown in FIGURE 1. The bands 52would permanently close the bin box so that it could be placed instorage or shipped. In ordinary use around a shop or the like where thebox was frequently opened or not even closed at the top the bands 52, ofcourse, would not be used.

The possibility of reinforcing the bin box can be realized in a numberof ways by providing reinforcing cleats or ribs at any desired point,and also by providing the lid with corner clips 54 which depend from thelid and around the corners of the vertical walls of the bin box. Thiswill support the walls of the bin box against deflection when the box isheavily loaded. In addition, the plastic hinges, particularly thoseindicated at 18, could have the top and bottom ends thereof wrapped withglass fiber tapes 56 as illustrated in FIGURE 5, and this will reinforcethe hinges so that they do not start to tear at the ends, wlu'ch is theregion that would ordinarily fail if the bin box were heavily loaded.

Still further, as will be seen in FIGURE 2, the side walls 14 could beprovided with angular support clips 58 held in place by screws 60 andhaving portions 62 extending underneath the side edges of the basemember 24. The base member 24, when clips 58 are employed, are supportedacross the entire length at both ends by cleats 22 and along as much ofthe front and back edges, up to the complete length thereof, as may beengaged by the clips 58.

The bin box according to the present invention lends itself totransporting liquids or semi-liquids or other flowable materials such aspowdered or granular material, by the provision of a plastic liner bag64 which may be placed in a box and then filled in with the material tobe transported in the box and thereafter the upper open end 66 of thebag is gathered together and wired closed or otherwise sealed as at 68.The bag may be internally pressurized if so desired in order to hold ittight against the confines of the inside of the box if so desired.

The box according to the present invention is relatively light andstrong and can easily be set up and knocked down. When knocked down thebox can be stored in a smaller place and thus has distinction over rigidboxes either of wood or metal and over wood or metal barrels.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modificationin order to adapt it to different usages and conditions; andaccordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within thisinvention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a collapsible bin box; side and end walls in edge to edgerelation, hinge means inside the walls connected to adjacent ends ofadjacent walls, said end walls extending below said side walls, supportrails on the insides of said end walls at the bottom to support abottom, and a bottom panel resting on said rails and closing the bottomof the box, said bottom panel comprising two parts meeting between theside edges of the bottom panel, hinge means connecting the parts of saidbottom panel, said bottom panel having its side edges formed with a stepon the upper corner and each side wall being formed with a step on theinner lower corner and said steps interfitting, and means at the ends ofsaid bottom panel near said hinge means detachably securing the bottompanel in place on said side rails.

2. In a collapsible bin box; side and end walls in edge to edgerelation, hinge means inside the walls connected to adjacent ends ofadjacent walls, said end walls extending below said side walls, supportrails on the inside of said end walls at the bottom to support a bottom,a bottom panel resting on said rails and closing the bottom of the box,said bottom panel comprising two parts meeting between the side edges ofthe bottom panel, and hinge means connecting the parts of said bottompanel, the side edges of the bottom panel engaging the bottom edges ofthe side walls, said end walls having apertures in the region of thehinge in the bottom panel, said bottom panel having apertures at theends thereof in alignment with the apertures in said end walls toreceive one end of a spring clip means, a metal bar element at each endof said bottom panel secured to one part of the panel and extending overto the other part of the bottom panel in the region of the aperturetherein to reinforce the bottom panel, and spring clip means at each endwall passing through the aperture therein and engaging the pertainingsaid metal bar element and aperture in said bottom panel to retain thebottom panel in place.

3. In a collapsible bin box; side and end walls in edge to edgerelation, hinge means inside the walls connected to adjacent ends ofadjacent Walls, said end walls extending below said side walls, supportrails on the insides of said end walls at the bottom to support abottom, a bottom panel having ends resting on said rails and closing thebottom of the box, said bottom panel comprising two parts meetingbetween the side edges of the bottom panel, and hinge means connectingthe parts of said bot-tom panel on the outward side thereof, the sideedges of the bottom panel engaging the bottom edges of the side walls,:said end walls having apertures in the region of the hinge in thebottom panel, and spring clip means passing through said apertures andengaging said ends of said bottom panel in the area of said hinge meansto retain the bottom panel in place, and metal angle members secured tosaid side walls on the outside near the bottom and extending beneath thebottom panel to support the bottom panel.

4. In a collapsible bin box; side and end walls in edge to edgerelation, hinge means inside the walls connected to adjacent ends ofadjacent walls, said end walls extending below said side walls, supportrails on the insides of said end walls at the bottom to support abottom, a bottom panel having ends resting on said rails and closing thebottom of the box, said bottom panel comprising two parts meetingbetween the side edges of the bottom panel, hinge means connecting theparts of said bottom panel on the outward side thereof, the side edgesof said bottom panel engaging the bottom edges of the side walls ininterlocking engagement, said rails extending below the bottoms of saidend walls so as to be receivable in the top of another box so boxes canbe stacked in interlocked relation, each said end wall having anaperture in the region of the hinge in the bottom panel, said bottompanel having apertures at the ends thereof in alignment with theapertures in said end walls to receive one end of a spring clip means,and spring clip means for each end wall passing through said aperturetherein and having one end detachably secured to said end wall and theother end detachably secured in the pertaining aperture in said bottompanel to detachably secure said bottom panel in position on said rails.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 666,587 1/01Woolsey 217-48 1,020,534 3/12 Branham 217-16 2,232,346 2/41 Sikes 217-142,520,303 8/50 Bauer 22923 2,607,411 8/52 Van Vliet 220-24 2,722,36611/55 Carlson 229-49 2,868,404 1/59 Mattes 21714 2,965,276 12/60 Foster21769 3,082,897 3/63 Highley 21769 FOREIGN PATENTS 474,072 5/51 Canada.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner,

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner,

2. IN A COLLAPSIBLE BIN BOX; SIDE AND END WALLS IN EDGE TO EDGERELATION, HINGE MEANS INSIDE THE WALLS CONNECTED TO ADJACENT ENDS OFADJACENT WALLS, SAID END WALLS EXTENDING BELOW SAID SIDE WALLS, SUPPORTRAILS ON THE INSIDE OF SAID END WALLS AT THE BOTTOM TO SUPPORTT ABOTTOM, A BOTTOM PANEL RESTING ON SAID RAILS AND CLOSING THE BOTTOM OFTHE BOX, SAID BOTTOM PANEL COMPRISING TWO PARTS MEETING BETWEEN THE SIDEEDGES OF THE BOTTOM PANEL, AND HINGE MEANS CONNECTING THE PARTS OF SAIDBOTTOM PANEL, THE SIDE EDGES OF THE BOTTOM PANEL ENGAGING THE BOTTOMEDGES OF THE SIDE WALLS, SAID END WALLS HAVING APERTURES IN THE REGIONOF THE HINGE IN THE BOTTOM PANEL, SAID BOTTOM PANEL HAVING APERTURES ATTHE ENDS THEREOF IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE APERTURES IN SAID END WALLS TORECEIVE ONE END OF A SPRING CLIP MEANS, A METAL BAR ELEMENT AT EACH ENDOF SAID BOTTOM PANEL SECURED TO ONE PART OF THE PANEL AND EXTENDING OVERTO THE OTHER PART OF THE BOTTOM PANEL IN THE REGION OF THE APERTURETHEREIN TO REINFORCE THE BOTTOM PANEL, AND SPRING CLIP MEANS AT EACH ENDWALL PASSING THROUGH THE APERTURE THEREIN AND ENGAGING THE PERTAININGSAID METAL BAR ELEMENT AND APERTURE IN SAID BOTTOM PANEL TO RETAIN THEBOTTOM PANEL IN PLACE.